Electric toaster



July 17, 1928.

H. C. DRAKE ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed Jan. 2, 1925 2 sheefs -sheet INVENTOR. Maw

A ORNEY.

July 17, 1928. 1,677,177

H. c. DRAKE ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed Jan. 2, 192's 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY.

7 f ZNVENTOR.

Patented l7,

' UNITED. STATES- E ABCOUBT O. DRAKE, OI HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC TOASTEB.

Application filed Iaimary This. invention relates to an electridigtoaster of the type commonly used for toastingbre'ad and it has for an object to embody the toaster a source of illumination for illuminating thesurface of the bread as it is toastand'arrangement of parts as more particularly described in the following'specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an enclosed type of toaster embodying my invention, Fi 2, is another side elevation with one of tie side covers removed to show the interior, Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 2 showing the arrangement of the partsof the device, Fig. 4 shows one arrangement of circuits that may be used with this invention, Fig. 5 is an end elevation, in motion, showing another arrangement of my invention applied to a toaster with a plurality of toasting chambers, Fig. 6 is another end elevation, in section, of a double chamis removed from the toaster.

bered toaster embodying a modified form of my invention, Fig. 7 is a'top plan view of a double chambered toaster showing another arrangement of my invention, and Fig. 8 is another modification.

v In electric toasters as commercially manufactured at the present time it is diflicult to determine the extent of the toasting unless one is very close to the object and in the enclosed ty of'toasters the extent of the toasting can lascertained only when the bread The present invention provides a source of illumination associated with the electric heating unit of the toaster which illuminates the surface that is being toasted and enables the extent of the toasting to be determined in the dark or in a dulllight and to be readily determined at a distance from the toaster. In the type of toasters which are enclosed as shown in the drawin a window is provided in the side covers t rough which the illuminated surface may be inspected. This window may be an 2, 1926. Serial No. 78,022.

14 and 15 are the side plates. and 16 is the top. The electric conductors are ledfrom the plug 19 to the receptacle 18 and are dis- ,tributed in the bottom section l'Z. Handles 5 5 and 22 may be provided as shown at ed so that the extentof the toasting can read -il y be determined. Other objects of the inrention' reside in the details of construction either end and preferably covered with a heat insulatin material so that the device can be moved by these handles and the projecti'ng handles help to guard objects from coming-into contact with the hot toaster. The side plate 14 is provided with a window at 23 and the opposite side plate has a corrospondin window 25,.Fig. .2. The edge of the window may be deflected as at 24 to enlarge the view throughthe opening.

Strips of insulation 31 and 32 are secured to-the end plates and the heating coils 33 and, 34 extend between .and are supported by these strips. An electric bulb 36, F i 3 is provided at one side of the device be ow the heating coils and another electric bulb 37 is provided at the opposite side below the other set'of heating coils. These bulbs are, preferably, of" low voltage, that is, of lower voltage than the voltage used in the heating coil and are connected in multiple circuit till with a portion of the coil as indicated in Fig. 4. vFrom this figure it will be noted that the heating coils are connected in series with the return circuit on wire 35.

The bread in the toasting position is indi- I cated by a in Fig. 3 and is indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 2. A cradle 41 supports the slice of bread between the two rows of heating coils. This cradle is'pivoted at the bottom corner at 42 to the lugs 43 in the end plate and is' rotated on its pivot by the knob 44. The end and the top of the device is suitably slotted to permit the movement of the cradle on its pivot. The handle 22 is preferably, formed integral with the cradle thus forming an additional means for moving the cradle while this handle forms a rest for the outer end ofthe cradle when it is turned away from the toaster.

From the arrangement described it will be noted that when the toaster is in operation ,the bulbs 36 and 37 are illuminated and thus both sides of the bread slice are illuminated and the progress of the toasting can be observed through the windows 23 or 25. out this illumination, the bread is enclosed in a dark space and it is not possible through the windows to determinet lbj j extent of the toasting. V

The toaster in Fi g:- 5 'isconstructed with observed through the windows in the side three sets of heating coils and two chambers and with one source of illumination in the bulb 51, which, by means of the.

reflector 52 illuminates the outsidechambers so that outer surfaces of the bread can be plates. It will be" noted that the central section between the toasting chambers is illuminated so that if-only one slice of bread is toasting in this device both of its sides can be observed through the side windows. In the construction of toasters of this type the heating coils are usually so proportioned that an equal-toasting ellect is obtained onboth sides of the bread and thus it is necessary only to' observe the progress" of the toasting on one side of the bread.

The construction in Fig. 6 is similar toindicated by the section where the cover isremoved, by a bulb placed centrally at the end as 57 and by refl ctors 58 and 59'wh1ch reflect the light from this bulb to the ente T rior chambers of the device, similar to the 3O illumination of the other types .andat the same time the central chamber is directly illuminated from the bulb.

In the type of. toasters which have cen-.

tral heating chamber enclosed by the slices of bread which are toasted on the inside and which cannot readily beinspected, the ar- 1 rangement shown in 1g. 8 maybe used in carrying out my invention. In this construction the heating coil 33 is placed in the centre between the bread slices aa. At the base a reflector 62 is provided which 'can be seen me distance, the base being deformed opposite the reflector for this purpose, this reflector is inclinedat an angle to reflect the inner surface of the bread as it is being toasted and as it is illuminated by the bulb 61 conveniently supported bythe base, the

bulb being inserted in an aperture in-the re-' flector to engage a supporting bracket as shown. It is apparentthat in this construction one or two bulbs placed on the cent-re between the heating coils will satisfactorily illuminate both slices of bread.

Other alternative arrangements canreadily be adapted in applying this invention wherebythe progressive of toasting bread can be followed by means'of the illumination-provided without departing from the intent and spirit thereof.

Having. thus described my invention, 1 claim:- a y i 1. In a portable bread toaster as described,

the combination ofa stand having anelectric outlet, an electric heating coil connected with said outlet and a source of illumination, said source connected in multiple circuit with a portion of said coil and arranged to illumiunto the surface of the bread being toasted bysaidcoil.

- 2. In -a' bread toasterfas described, the:

combination of a stand having an electric-' outlet:i a toaster comprising heating coils connecte with said outlet, a cradle and electric light bulbson said stand, said cradle pivoted to rotate between said heating coils and said bulbs connected" in multiple circuit with a 1 portion of said coils and arranged to illuminate saidcradle. i 4 v 4; In a bread toaster as described, the combination of a toaster including asup orting stand with an electric outlet and a eating coil connected with said outlet-with means for supportin the bread to betoasted in relation to said heating coil and means supported by said stand and associated with said heatingjcoil for illuminating the surface of the bread asit is being toasted. 5. 'In a bread toaster as described, the combination, a stand having an electric outlet connected with a source of electric supply, an electric heating coil connected with said outlet and an electric bulb for illuminating the-bread being toasted, said bulb being of lower voltage than" said supply and connected-in multiple circuit with a portion of said coil havi a. voltage drop correspond ing substantia -y to the voltage of the bulb. Signed at New York in the county of law Yorkand State of New York this 15th day of December A. D. 1925. HARCOURT C; DRAKE. 

